Electric time controlled switch



1941- M. A. VAN DAM 2,259,402

ELECTRIC TIME CONTROLLED SWITCH Filed July 11, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 14, 1941.

M. A. VAN DAM ELECTRIC TIME CONTROLLED SWITCH Filed July 11, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I l IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIII Oct. 14, 1941. M. A. VAN DAM ELECTRIC TIME CONTROLLED SWITCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 11, 1940 15 @Illlllll! Maizhew .27. Km lam 7% Patented Oct. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved electric switch of simpleconstruction for breaking an electric circuit at a predetermined time after the switch is set and is especially adapted for use for extinguishing electric lamp bulbs so that the light will be maintained for a certain interval after the switch has been actuated.

More particularly, it is an aim of the invention to provide an electric time switch of simple construction employing the principle of an hourglass for actuating the switch in breaking an electric circuit.

More particularly, it is an aim of the invention to provide a switch including a rotatably mounted vessel having enlarged compartments at its ends, connected by a restricted passage, for containing a fluent material the weight of which will rock said vessel, when a sufiicient quantity of the material has flowed through the passage therein, by gravity, for moving the vessel for breaking an electric circuit.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide a time controlled switch employing the hourglass principle of operation wherein the fluent material is of'an electrical conducting material and functions as a conductor between two spaced contact elements while the material is flowing from the upper compartment of the vessel to the lower compartment thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the electric time controlled switch,

Figure 2 is an end View in elevation of the same,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitu dinal, vertical sectional view of the same,

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figures 5 and 6 are transverse vertical sectional views taken substantially along the planes of the lines 5-5 and 6-6, respectively, of Figure 1,

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit of which the electric time controlled switch forms a part,

Figure 8 is an end View partly in elevation and partly in section of another embodiment of the invention,

Figure 9 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical 55 sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 9-9 of Figure 8, and

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit of which the switch, as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, forms a part.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, I I designates generally one embodiment of the electric time controlled switch, as illustrated in Figures 1 to '7, which includes a base I2 of electrical insulating material on which are mounted standards I3 and I4. The standard I3 includes two upwardly projecting posts having openings in their upper ends forming bearings while the standard I4 comprises a single upwardly projecting post having a similar opening forming a hearing which alines with the openings in the posts of the standard I3 for journaling a tubular shaft I5 formed of the sections I6 and IT. The section I6 is journaled in the bearings I8 in the posts of the standard I3 and the section I! is journaled in the bearing I8 of the standard I4. The shaft sections I8 and I! are provided with collars I8a to prevent said sections from sliding relatively to their bearings IS.

A vessel or container, designated generally I9, which is formed of an electrical conducting material, is provided with compartments 20 and 2| at its ends which are connected by a restricted neck portion 22 provided with a passage 23 connecting the compartments 20 and 2| and having a restricted intermediate portion 24. The compartments 20 and 2| at their remote ends are provided with threaded openings adapted to be normally closed by threaded plugs 25 on which are mounted corresponding keeper elements 26. As best seen in Figure 4, the compartments 2% and 2| are offset relatively to the neck 22 in opposite directions relatively to each other. The vessel I9 is adapted to be partially filled with a fluent material or substance 2! which may be of granular form, such as sand, or which may be in the form of a liquid.

The adjacent ends of the shaft sections I6 and I! are secured to the vessel I9, intermediate the ends of its neck portion 22 and contiguous with the restricted passage portion 24, as best seen in Figure 4. As best seen in Figure 3, the shaft section I6 is provided with a tapered end 28 which projects into the restricted bore portion 24. A valve element 29 is slidably mounted in the corresponding end of the shaft section I1 and is provided with a tapered end which projects into the passage portion 24 in opposed relationship to the end 28. The opposite, outer end of the shaft portion is provided with a restricted threaded opening 38 to receive a threaded follower screw 3| provided with a head on its inner end to which is secured one end of an expansion coil spring 32, the opposite end of which is secured to the valve 29, so that the follower screw 3| can be adjusted to move the valve 29 toward and away from the end 28 to vary the size of the passage portion 24 for regulating the flow of the fluent material 2'! therethrough.

The posts of the standard |3 are connected intermediate of their ends by means of a bar 33. A spool 34 is turnably mounted on the shaft section l6 above the bar 33 and between the posts of the standard l3.

A coil spring 35 is fixed at one end to one of the posts of the standard l3 and at its opposite end to the spool 34 for turning the spool in one direction on the shaft section Hi. The intermediate portion of the spring 35 is coiled around the shaft section l5. A flexible member 36 is fixed at one end to the spool 34 and is trained partially therearound with its opposite, free end; extending through an aperture in an arm 31 which is secured to the bar 33. An arm 33 is secured to the spool 34 and extends radially therefrom to form a stop for engaging the bar 33to-1imit the turning movement of the spool 34 in one direction, as-urged by the spring 35.

A clutch, designated generally 39, includes a disk 4ll-whichis fixed to the shaft section l6, be-

tween the posts'of the standard I3, by a' set screw 4|. Disk 40 is provided with a pair of corresponding spring elements 42 which are fixed at their corresponding ends at 43 to the disk 40, adjacent its periphery and in diametrically opposed relationship to each. other. The spring elements 42 are-provided adjacent their secured ends 43 with the cam portions 44v which are disposed obliquely to the plane of the disk 40 and WhiChiElBil'lClil'lGd toward the ends 43. The opposite, free ends of the spring elements 42 extend inwardly of and loosely through the disk 40. The stop 38 is provided along one edge thereof with theinclined cam face 45 for engaging one or the other of the camv portions 44, when the spool 34 is turned by the spring 35 to retract the spring element 42-of which said cam portion 44- forms a part, to permit the stop to passthereover. When the spool 34 is turned in the opposite direction by a pull on the flexible member 36 the stop member 38 will engage the free end of one of the spring elements 42' to. turn the shaft section It, in a clockwise direction, asseen in Figure 4, through an arc of slightly less than one hundred and eighty degrees to thereby invert. the. vessel or container l9.

A spring latch element 45, of electrical conducting material, is fastened at one end to the base. l2 and extends upwardly therefrom, on one side of the. shaft |5, with its free end disposed thereabove and bent to project toward the vertical plane of the. shaft I5. One of the fastenings by means of which the latch element 46 is secured to the base |2 forms a contact post 41 which is connected by a conductor 48 to a contact post 49, secured to the base l2 and connected to aconductor 50;. Another contact post is mounted in the base l2 and is provided with a conductor 52. The conductors 55 and. 52 lead to a source of electric current, not shown, and form positive and, negative conductors, respectively, thereof. A contact post 53', as seen in Figure 1, is connected to the standard M, which is of conducting material; and is provided with a conductor 54 which.

connects with the post 5|. The shaft section I1 is likewise of conducting material and connects the post l4 to the vessel or container l9.

This circuit is shown diagrammatically in Figure 7 with an electric lamp bulb 55 shown connected to the conductor 54, intermediate of its ends. It will thus be seen that the current flows from the source of electricity through conductor 50, contact post 49 and conductor 48 to contact post 41, through the spring latch element 46 and the keeper 26 which is in contact therewith to the vessel Hi, from the vessel l9 through the shaft section l1 and standard 4 to the contact post 53, through the conductor 54 through the i lamp bulb 55 to post 5|, and from the post 5| through conductor 52 back to the negative side of the source of electric current so that when the spring latch element 46 is engaging one of the keepers 26 thelamp bulb 55 will be energized and it will be deenergized when the vessel I9 is moved so. that neither of the keeper elements 26 are, in. contact with the spring latch element 46.

Assuming thev time controlled switch H to be in. the position, as seen in Figures 2 and 4 with the compartment 29 above the compartment 2| and filled with the fluent material 27, the weight of the fluent material will tend to cause the vessel L9 to turn in a counterclockwise direction to the position, as seen in Figures 2 and 4 where it will.

be held by the spring latch element at an oblique angle to the standards I3 and I4. In this position the circuit, heretofore described, will be closed and the bulb energized. With the vessel l9 thus positioned, the fluent substance 21 will flow through passage 23. to compartment 2| and when there is sufficient substance 21 in compartment 2| to counterbalance and exceed the weight of the substance in compartment 20 compartment 2| will swing downwardly or in a clockwise direction to swing compartment 20 upwardly so that its keeper 26 will. move out of engagement with latch element 46 to break the circuit to the lamp bulb 55. The material. 2'! will continue to flow through passage 23 until it fills compartment 2|. A pull on the free end of the flexible memer 36 will turn the spool 34 in a clockwise direction, as seen in Figure 2, to cause the stop member 38 to engage the free end of one of the latch elements 42 to turn the shaft section It and the vessel IS in a clockwise direction to swing the compartment 2| to the position formerly occupied by the compartment. As its keeper element 36 rides under and retracts the free end of the latch element 43 the swinging movementv will be slowed down to prevent it from swinging past the vertical, dead center position so that when released, by releasing the flexible member 36 its. keeper element 26 will rest against the latch element 36 and the spool 34 will be turned counterclockwise by its spring 35 with the. stop 38 retracting and passing over. the other spring element 42. This will again complete the circuit to energize the lamp bulb 55 which will be main tained until the weight of the fluent substance 21 in compartment 20 again breaks the circuit, in the manner as heretofore described. By adjusting the valve 23 the rate of flow of the substance or material 21 can be varied to vary the length of time that the circuit will be maintained.

In Figures 8, 9 and 10 another embodiment of the time controlled switch, designated l is illustrated. The parts of the time controlled electric switch H" which correspond to similiar parts of the switch bear corresponding reference-char-- acters and include the base l2, standards l3 and |4, collars l9, spool 34, spring 35, arm 38, and the" clutch mechanism, designated generally 39. The spool 34 and clutch mechanism 39 are mounted on the shaft section N3 of the shaft |5 The shaft section I6 is actuated in the same manner as the shaft section l6 by the spring 35 and the flexible member 36 through the spool 34 and clutch mechanism 39. A vessel I9 of electrical insulating material is secured to the adjacent ends of shaft sections l6 and H by means of the collars and fastenings 56, intermediate the ends of its neck portion 22. The vessel |9 is of the same shape as the vessel I9 and differs therefrom only in that it is formed of a non-conducting material and is provided with a slightly different type of keeper elements 26 which are connected to the remote, closed endsthereof for engaging the spring latch element 46 which is of the same shape and disposed in the same position as the latch element 46 but which does not form an electrical conductor. The'shaft section I6 is provided with a tapered end 28 which extends into the restricted passage portion 24 while the tubular shaft section I1 is provided with a follower screw 3| which is swivelly connected at its shank end to a valve member 29' by means of a set screw 51 which extends into a socket portion of the Valve 29' for engaging an annular groove 58 in the shank end of the screw follower 3|. The shaft sections l6 and I1 and the valve 29' are formed of conducting material so that the end 28 and the corresponding end of the valve 29',

which is likewise disposed in the restricted passage portion 24' form contacts which are adapted to be spaced from each other and which are likewise adapted to restrict the flow of the fluent material 21 therethrough. The valve 29' is adjustable in the same manner as the valve 29 for regulating the flow of the material 2'! which, in the switch II, is of electrical conducting material such as fine particles of metal.

To the upper end of one of the posts of the standard l3 and to the upper end of the standard M are secured corresponding brackets 59 of insulating material from which are suspended cylinders 60 by means of nut and bolt fastenings 6|. A piston 62 is slidably mounted in each of the cylinders 60 with one end projecting therefrom and urged outwardly by means of an expansion coil spring 63 which bears against the fastening 6| and the inner end of the piston 62. Pistons 62 are disposed in wiping engagement with the remote ends of the shaft sections l6 and I1 and are of conducting material as are also the springs 63 and fastenings 6| to which are connected the conductors 64 and 65 which lead to positive and negative sides, respectively, of a source of electric current, not shown.

The inverting of the vessel l9 and the means 46' for holding the filled end thereof in uppermost position is the same in th switch II as in the switch Likewise, the means for regulating the flow of the material 2'! through the passage 23' is the same. However, instead of employing the vessel l9 as a part of the circuit the current flows from the source of electric current, through conductor 64 to one of the fastenings 6|, through one of the springs 63 and piston 62 to the shaft section l6, from its end 28 through the conducting material 21' passing through the restricted passage 24 to the combination valve and contact element 29, through the shaft section IT to and through the other piston 62, spring 63 and fastening 6| to the conductor 65 to which is connected a lamp bulb 55,

as illustrated in the diagrammatic view, Figure 10, which is energized by the current passing through this circuit back through the conductor 65 to the negative side of the source of electric current. The circuit is maintained so long as there is suflicient of the fluent substance 21. in the upper compartment 20' to flow by gravity through the restricted passage 24' and to bridge and thereby maintain the circuit between the contact points 28 and 29'. The movement of the upper compartment 20' away from th latch element 46' will not affect the circuit to the lamp bulb which will be sustained until the fluent substance 21' ceases to bridge the contacts 28' and 29. By inverting the vessel I9 by a pull on the cord 36, in the same manner that the vessel I9 is inverted, as heretofore described, the compartment 2| will be raised and disposed in the same position as the compartment 26', in Figure 8, so that the fluent material 21' passing downwardly therefrom will again complete the circuit to energize the lamp bulb 55'. By adjusting the member 29 through operation of the follower screw 3| the flow of the fluent material 21' is varied and likewise the space between the contact points 28' and 29' is varied to increase or decrease the amount of the fluent substance 2'! which is required to maintain the electric circuit.

Various modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts in each of the embodiments of the invention are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to as only preferred embodiments thereof have been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A time controlled electric switch, comprising a shaft, hearings in which the ends of the shaft are journaled, a spool rotatably mounted on the shaft, spring means for turning the spool in one direction, a stop connected to the spool for limiting its turning movement in said direction, means connected to said spool for turning it in the opposite direction, clutch means associated with the shaft and spool to cause the shaft to be turned with the spool when the latter is rotated in the last mentioned direction, and to cause the spool to turn relatively to the shaft when turned in the first mentioned direction; a container having compartments at its ends connected by a restricted neck portion having a bore forming a communicating passage between said compartments, said neck portion being fixed to the shaft for inverting the container when the shaft is turned, a pair of electrical contacts, and a fluent substance contained in said container and partially filling the same, to flow from the upper compartment through the bore to the lower compartment, for making and breaking a circuit between the two contacts.

2. An electric switch as in claim 1, comprising spaced contacts mounted in said neck portion and projecting into the bore thereof, said fluent substance being of electric conducting material, said container being formed of a non-conducting material, and the fluent subtsance passing through said bore forming a conductor between said spaced contacts.

3. An electric switch as in claim 1, comprising spaced contacts mounted in said neck position and projecting into the bore itself, said fluent substance being of electric conducting material, said container being formed of a non-conducting material, the fluent substance passing through said bore forming a conductor between said spaced relatively to the other for adjusting the volume of flow of said fluent substance through the bore.

4. An electric switch as in claim 1, comprising valve means mounted in said neck portion for restricting the passage of said bore, said valve means being adjustable to vary the flow of the fluent substance through said bore.

5; An electric time controlled switch as in claim 1', comprising a base member for supporting said bearings; a spring latch element secured at one end to said base member and extending upwardly therefrom, the opposite free end of said latch element being disposed above and to one side of said shaft, said spring latch element forming an electrical contact, said container being formed of electrical conducting material to, form an electrical contact, the compartments of said container being offset relatively to the neck portion and in opposite directions relatively to each other so that the upper compartment, when filled with the fluent substance will be swung, by the weight thereof, into engagement with the free end of said latch member for completing a circuit between said contacts, said upper end being movable-out of engagement with said spring latch member by the Weight of the fluent substance in the lower compartment when the amount of fluent substance in the lower compartment exceeds the quantity in the upper'compartment.

6'. A time controlled electric switch, comprising a; shaft, bearings in which the ends-of the shaft are journaled, a spool rotatably mounted. onthe shaft, spring meansfor turning the spool in one" direction, a stop connected to the spool for limiting its turning movement in said. direction, means connected to said spool for turning it in.

the opposite direction, clutch means associated with the shaft and spool to cause the shaft to be turned with the spool when the latter is rotated in the last mentioned direction, and to cause the spool to turn relatively to the shaftwherr turned in the first mentioned direction; a container having compartments at its ends con-- nected by a restricted neck portion having a bore forming a communicating passage between saidcompartments, said compartments being offset in opposite directions relatively to the neck portion, said neck portion being fixed to the shaft for inverting the container when the shaft is turned, a pair of electrical contacts interposed in an electric circuit, and a fluent substance'cons tainedin said container and partially filling the same, and adapted toflow'through the neck por-- tion from the upper'to the lower compartment; the circuit through the contacts being main tained in a closed position by the fluent substance, when it is disposed in the upper compartment; and being interrupted by the movement of'the fluent substance to the lower compartment.

; MATTHEW A. VAN 

